All resources in Wisconsin Games + Learning + Libraries Cohort

Dungeons and Dragons Introductory One-Shot - Book of Constructs

(View Complete Item Description)

This is a Dungeons and Dragons module meant to introduce new dungeon masters and players to the game. The module runs about 2-2.5 hours and accommodates a group of 3-8 players. This module does require the Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook to play.The game is formatted like an escape room to introduce players and the DM to the basic mechanics in a condensed amount of time. In the attached folder there are the module pdf, printout maps, props and premade character sheets to make it easy as possible to sit down and start playing. The setting is also open ended regarding the world and lore, so it makes a good introductory game to larger campaign or to insert to an existing one.  

Material Type: Game

Author: Todd Gibbons

Dungeons & Dragons Learning Adventures (Young Minds Inspired)

(View Complete Item Description)

Are you looking for a fun and engaging way to empower your students to become more confident, tackle challenges head-on, and learn perseverance? Explore these standards-based programs with activities that take students through critical-thinking exercises inspired by the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game and its characters. Students and teachers do not need prior knowledge of D&D to use the programs. They just need imagination and a collaborative spirit! For grades 4-6, and 6-8 (Subject Area: Language Arts, STEAM). Made possible by: Wizards of the Coast Website includes lesson plans, a "Field Guide to Dragons", "Storytelling with the Bard", Activity Books, Coloring Pages, "Build an Adventure" kit, a Digital Magazine, Character Wardrobes & Gear, free "Encounters", guides, "How-to's", webinars about the pedagogical benefits of D&D, and more!!

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Diagram/Illustration, Game, Interactive, Lesson, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Wizards of the Coast, Young Minds Inspired

Starting a Board Game Collection at Your Library (Example List, by David McHugh)

(View Complete Item Description)

This document is a list of possible board game examples that could be purchased to be included in startup library board game collection, to be used or borrowed by library patrons. This list was generated by David McHugh as a part of his 2024 Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference presentation, which is recommended as a viewing to accompany using this list (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpHfTPBG87Q).

Material Type: Reference Material

Author: Chris Baker

Board Games in the Library (Slides; Presentation by David McHugh, 2024)

(View Complete Item Description)

These slides are associated with a presentation done about integrating board games in library borrowing collections (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpHfTPBG87Q) that was offered as a part of the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference 2024. The presentation was given by David McHugh (Teaching Faculty Member, UW-Madison iSchool (Wisconsin).Presentation description: "Board games have never been so popular, with immense social, educational, and creative opportunities for libraries.  Join us to learn the key practical considerations for choosing games and organizing game events.  Get up to speed on the vast range of hands-on games, from cooperative problem-solvers to Dungeons & Dragons to Pokémon card tournaments.  Let the games begin!".

Material Type: Reference Material

Author: Chris Baker

Board Games in the Library [Video Webinar]; presented by David McHugh (Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference 2024)

(View Complete Item Description)

This video webinar (about integrating board game collections in libraries) was offered by David McHugh (a member of the Teaching Faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison iSchool; https://ischool.wisc.edu/staff/mchugh-david/) on Thursday, January 24th, 2024, as a part of the Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference (https://www.wildwiscwinterweb.com/) 2024. Presentation Description: "Board games have never been so popular, with immense social, educational, and creative opportunities for libraries. Join us to learn the key practical considerations for choosing games and organizing game events. Get up to speed on the vast range of hands-on games, from cooperative problem-solvers to Dungeons & Dragons to Pokémon card tournaments. Let the games begin!"

Material Type: Lecture, Reference Material, Unit of Study

Authors: David McHugh, Wild Wisconsin Winter Web Conference 2024

Managing a Board Game Collection: How Do Libraries Do It and How Can They Do It Better?

(View Complete Item Description)

"As an avid board game hobbyist, I love when libraries include games in their collections. Games are a source of entertainment, social joy, and intellectual challenge. What better place to showcase those things than at the library! The world of board gaming has exploded in the last few decades, and while this has infinitely improved the hobby, it has also made it much more difficult to organize. If a library wants to craft a truly great board game collection, it has to look beyond merely well-known classics such as chess and Monopoly. Consequently, as the quality of the games in the collection improve, so must the quality of the cataloging. In this project, I endeavor to showcase how libraries currently manage board games collections as well as offer a few suggestions I have for improvement. " ~Maria Becker, Instructional, Reference, & Research Support Librarian at Rincker Memorial Library. Website includes CURRENT CATALOGING PRACTICES, COLLECTION MANAGEMENT FAQS, SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE BOARD GAME COLLECTION MANAGEMENT, MARC CATALOGING EXAMPLES, and BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING.

Material Type: Other, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Maria Becker

Board Game Collections & Programming Useful Links (Brown County Library)

(View Complete Item Description)

This resource includes a document with various relevant links to help libraries and other educators begin to develop board game collections and programs for their users. This document was created by the Brown County Library in Wisconsin, and was shared with permission by Katie Boettcher, Library Staff. The resource also includes presentation slides from a presentation offered by Brown County Library Staff at the Wisconsin Library Association 2022 annual conference.Library staff that are interested in learning more about how to integrate board games into library collections and programming will find plenty of useful links and resources here! Big thanks to the Katie Boettcher and the Brown County Library Staff for sharing these.

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Game, Interactive, Other, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Chris Baker

Jo Wilder and the Capitol Case

(View Complete Item Description)

Jo Wilder and the Capitol Case is a tool for students to engage in critical thinking and historical inquiry. As the plot unfolds, players come across primary source materials. Players use the same skills as real historians: investigation, identification, corroboration and contextualizing evidence. To win each challenge, players must piece together the evidence to argue their case. The game was designed by WPT Education, Field Day Lab, and a cohort of 3rd-5th grade social studies teachers. The game was tested by students throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Material Type: Assessment, Game

Authors: Field Day, PBS Wisconsin Education

Headlines and High Water

(View Complete Item Description)

In Headlines and High Water, players take on the role of a young journalist in the fictional town of Twin Lakes, where the annual Cherry Festival is thrown into chaos by a catastrophic flood. The player is tasked with interviewing locals and writing stories to keep the town informed—all while staying safe during the town’s worst flood of the century. Throughout the game, players build trust with the townspeople and interview a cast of quirky characters—like Birdie, the aptly-named nature conservationist, and Fred Finkler, the gardener who’ll talk your ear off. In the end, the player’s reporting will determine if Twin Lakes is still around a year from now, or if future floods wash the town right off the map.

Material Type: Game

Author: Field Day

Video Games: Their Effect on Society and How We Must Modernize Our Pedagogy for Students of the Digital Age (By Chris Baker, 2014)

(View Complete Item Description)

This 2014 thesis aims to explore how video games have become an extremely beneficial tool in regards to education, art, medicine, psychology, economics, and beyond. Chapter 1 focuses on how ubiquitous video games have become in America, and what makes video games such a uniquely enjoyable experience to warrant such popularity. Chapter 2 explores how video games have become instrumental in various fields. Chapter 3 discusses the role that video games now play in the world of education; specifically how we, as educators, must adapt a modern pedagogy best suited to students who have grown up with video games, which have influenced how they learn. This is the thesis’ primary contention and purpose. Chapter 4 dissects the two most studied controversies which surround video games as a medium: video game violence and video game addiction.

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy, Unit of Study

Author: Chris Baker

Steve Saylor - YouTube Channel (Accessibility & Video Games)

(View Complete Item Description)

Channel Description: "Hi, I'm Steve Saylor, I'm blind and I play Video Games! I am an accessibility advocate, consultant, content creator and the Media Editor of http://CanIPlayThat.com. I have consulted with studios such as Ubisoft, EA, PlayStation on such games as "The Last Of us Part 1 and Part 2", "Assassin's Creed Valhalla" "Forza Motorsport", and currently working on the Call of Duty Franchise. I've been featured on CNN, CBC, BBC, NPR, USA Today, VICE, IGN, Gamespot, Kinda Funny Games and Funhaus." For Video Game Accessibility or Blind Consulting, please contact me via my Business email below. Website stevesaylor.net Twitch twitch.tv/stevesaylor Twitter twitter.com/stevesaylor Instagram instagram.com/stevesaylor Threads threads.net/@stevesaylor Bluesky bsky.app/profile/stevesaylor.bsky.social

Material Type: Assessment, Game, Other, Primary Source, Reference Material

Author: Steve Saylor

Can I Play That? (Accessibility in Gaming)

(View Complete Item Description)

From their About Page: "Since our inception in November 2018 (Founded by Susan Banks and Courtney Craven), Can I Play that? (CIPT) has grown from a hobby site to a destination for players and developers alike that provides all forms of accessibility information on video games and the industry. Reviews, news stories, and features at CIPT exclusively report on the ever-growing presence and adoption of accessibility features within the gaming industry. Our work has been read and shared internally at studios around the world, such as Xbox, PlayStation, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and countless others, with support from Xbox and PlayStation executives, Phil Spencer and Hermen Hulst. Can I Play That? works to share stories that influence game updates, inform disabled players, educate and entertain players and developers, and provide a voice for one of the largest player bases in the industry. We have also developed professional workshops that tackle topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, and accessible community management. These workshops are available for studios to book, and we have already worked with Xbox, Ubisoft, Splash Damage, Square Enix, Creative Assembly, and more are to come as we expand our offerings"

Material Type: Game, Other, Reference Material, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: Josh Straub, Marijn (ActiveB1t)

League of Librarian Gamers - ALA GameRT (Facebook Group)

(View Complete Item Description)

The League of Librarian Gamers is a closed group affiliated with the ALA Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT). GameRT facilitates this space as a positive, progressive, and inclusive venue for library workers and game designers/publishers interested in the use of games in libraries to gather, discuss, and share resources and expertise. There is no requirement to join ALA or GameRT to utilize and join this Facebook group (please note joining this group is not the same as being an ALA GameRT member). We discuss board games, card games, RPGs, video games, tabletop games, Magic: the Gathering, miniatures, dice games, classic games, strategic games, educational games, and escape games/puzzles. We have a particular interest in how these games can be applied to the library space (academic, public, school, and special). The League of Librarian Gamers Facebook group was established in January 2014 by Joshua J. Carlson.

Material Type: Interactive, Other, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: ALA GameRT

Play Make Learn - Annual Conference

(View Complete Item Description)

The Play Make Learn Conference is a place for collaboration and discovery in the design, research and practice of playful learning, games for learning and positive social impact, making and makerspaces, STEAM education, and arts in education. PML creates an inspirational space for preK-12 educators, designers, developers, innovators, librarians, museum professionals, makers, and researchers to tinker together, share knowledge, and celebrate one another’s work.

Material Type: Assessment, Curriculum Map, Game, Interactive, Other, Primary Source, Reference Material, Self Assessment, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: Play Make Learn

ALA Games and Gaming Round Table – Brought to you by the American Library Association

(View Complete Item Description)

The Games & Gaming Round Table (GameRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) provides a venue for networking and collaboration for library workers interested in the use of games and gaming in libraries. GameRT was formed in 2011 and with members from all types of libraries, GameRT encompasses a wide variety of viewpoints, situations, and user types. The mission of the GameRT is to: - Provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and concerns surrounding games in libraries; - Share resources to the library community that support building and maintaining library game collections; - Advocate for initiating and supporting game programming in libraries; - Create an awareness of, and need for, the support of the value of gaming and play in libraries, schools, and related learning communities; - Create an awareness of the value of games and gaming in library outreach and community engagement plans.

Material Type: Interactive, Other, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Authors: ALA GameRT, American Library Association

BoardGameGeek

(View Complete Item Description)

What is BoardGameGeek? - BoardGameGeek is an online resource and community that aims to be the definitive source for board game and card game content. The site is updated on a real-time basis by its large and still growing user base — more than two million registered users! — making the Geek the largest and most up-to-date place to get gaming information! You can become a registered member of BGG for free, although we welcome your contributions to the site in the form of ratings, reviews, and thoughts on games to the existing database! BGG features reviews, ratings, images, play-aids, translations, and session reports from board game geeks around the world, as well as live discussion forums. In addition, every day nearly a hundred game trades pass through the hands of registered members, as well as transactions in the Geek Market. If you are new to the site and are wondering where to begin, you might start with the Guide to BoardGameGeek. What kind of games are here? - Here you'll find many types of board games, including thousands you've probably never seen in a store! We cover not only board games but also dice games, card games, tile-laying games, and games of dexterity. We have abstracts, economic games, dungeon crawls, city building, diplomacy and negotiation, trading, puzzle games, strategy games, party games, war games, and many more. We run the gamut from the light and whimsical Carcassonne to the serious and heavy empire-building of Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition. Well-known games like Monopoly exist in the database as well, although you'll find almost all users prefer modern games that exhibit advancements in game play and component quality since Monopoly was first published. For game suggestions, especially if you are buying a game for someone else, check out our 2019 Board Game Gift Guide. This looks interesting, but where can I find these games? - Many of these games are sold by other BGG users here in our Geek Market. Games that are in print may also be available from your local independent game store, which should be happy to special order titles for you. If you can't find the games there, you might try an online game retailer, which is often the only way to obtain imported games. Although you may never have seen or even heard of many of these games, you will find that they are surprisingly easy to obtain. How can I find opponents for these games? - Start by reaching out to your friends or family — you have the makings of a great gaming group among people you already know! But there are also many ways to meet new people for playing these games. You might be lucky and have a game store that features board game nights, and you may even find the local nexus of board gamers in your community. Meeting up for game nights is an excellent way to try out many games. You might also find a local group in the Game Groups section of our Forum, or use our Forum to try to find people in your area. Our members are always looking for new players, and generally enjoy introducing people to these games. BoardGameGeek even facilitates finding individual gamers in your area by the Gamer Database. Why should I register? - To fully use many of the site's features, you'll need a username. BGG registration is free. To add any content to the site, you must register. After you register you can: - Add a game to the database - Contribute images to our database - Post messages on our forums

Material Type: Diagram/Illustration, Game, Interactive, Other, Reference Material, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: BoardGameGeek